• Aphton Corp., of Miami, said the FDA reviewed and granted fast-track designation for G17DT (anti-gastrin) immunogen in combination with cisplatin and 5-FU for use in Stage IV gastric cancer to improve overall survival. Aphton is conducting one Phase III and three Phase II trials of the product. Aphton's anti-gastrin targeted therapy induces antibodies in patients that bind to both gastrin 17 and gly-gastrin and remove them from circulation before they can bind to the cancer cell and initiate cell growth, it said. Aphton's stock (NASDAQ:APHT) rose 21 cents Friday to close at $3.13.

• Caliper Technologies Corp., of Mountain View, Calif., said a New York federal judge dismissed all claims against Caliper in the consolidated securities class action lawsuits filed in the U.S District Court for the Southern District of New York. Also, the plaintiffs were not granted permission to re-plead their claims against Caliper, which labeled itself one of hundreds of other public companies and numerous underwriters party to the "In Re Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation."

• Discovery Laboratories Inc., of Doylestown, Pa., said it anticipates completing and announcing the results from its Phase III trial for Surfaxin for respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants in October 2003, about four months later than originally communicated, with a new drug application planned to be filed shortly afterward. The company's base of 50 clinical sites should enroll and treat patients at a rate for it to be able to announce results by that time, the company said. The trial is being conducted in Poland, Hungary, Mexico, Chile, Russia and Brazil, with Uruguay and Panama upcoming. Surfactants are protein/lipid compositions that are produced naturally in the lungs and help the lungs absorb oxygen. Discovery's stock (NASDAQ:DSCO) fell 23 cents Friday, or 10.2 percent, to close at $2.02.

• Diversa Corp., of San Diego, and Syngenta AG, of Basel, Switzerland, completed the transactions under which the companies formed a research and product development alliance, and Diversa acquired certain technology rights from Syngenta for pharmaceutical applications. Diversa stockholders approved the issuance to Syngenta of Diversa common stock and a warrant to purchase shares. Diversa issued to Syngenta about 6 million shares and a warrant to purchase about 1.3 million shares of stock at $22 per share that is exercisable for 10 years starting in 2008. Seventy-seven employees from Syngenta's Torrey Mesa Research Institute (TMRI) will relocate to Diversa to begin work on the alliance. Syngenta has committed $118 million over seven years to the alliance. Also, 19 TMRI employees will relocate to Syngenta's research center in Raleigh, N.C. The deal originally was announced in December. (See BioWorld Today, Dec. 5, 2002.)

• Genelabs Technologies Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., said it is reducing its work force by about 20 percent, or 20 employees. The company said it is not making any reductions to its drug development staff working on Prestara for systemic lupus erythematosus. In November, the company submitted to the FDA its Phase III Prestara protocol. The trial is being conducted in response to the FDA's actions regarding Genelabs' new drug application for Prestara filed in 2000. In August, the company received an approvable letter that stipulated that the confirmatory trial be conducted. (See BioWorld Today, Sept. 3, 2002, and Nov. 18, 2002.)

• Gilead Sciences Inc., of Foster City, Calif., said it received a positive opinion to extend the indication of Viread (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) to include use in antiretroviral-naive HIV patients, from the European Union's Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products, the scientific committee of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency. The label extension is based on 48-week results from Gilead's study in 600 treatment-naive patients infected with HIV. Gilead anticipates a decision in the next several months from the European Commission.

• Hybridon Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., reported publication of a paper in the Feb. 15, 2003, issue of The Prostate demonstrating activity of an MDM2 antisense compound in preclinical prostate cancer models. The findings provide insights into the relationship between inhibition of MDM2 and anticancer activity via p53-dependent and p53-independent mechanisms of action. The study was undertaken to investigate the functions of the MDM2 oncogene in prostate cancer growth and the importance of MDM2 as a drug target for prostate cancer therapy by antisense inhibition of MDM2 expression.

• Ligand Pharmaceutical Inc., of San Diego, reported at the American Academy of Pain Medicine meeting in New Orleans that its once-daily pain product, Avinza (morphine sulfate extended-release capsules), improved overall quality of sleep in patients with chronic, moderate to severe osteoarthritis pain compared to placebo. Also, Avinza given once daily in the morning improved overall quality of sleep compared to MS Contin (morphine sulfate controlled-release, from The Purdue Frederick Co.) at the first and fourth weeks of the four-week study. Separately, Ligand presented final results of a Phase I/II dose escalation study at the 27th Hawaii dermatology seminar conducted by the Skin Disease Education Foundation. Data showed that nearly 40 percent of patients with chronic severe hand dermatitis who were treated with its Targretin (bexarotene) gel 1 percent experienced clinical improvement of 90 percent or more. Almost 80 percent improved by at least 50 percent.

• Perlegen Sciences Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., signed a multiyear research collaboration with Unilever plc, of London, under which the companies will use Perlegen's high-resolution whole-genome association technologies to develop consumer products. Perlegen will receive research funding, and would receive research success payments and royalties on product sales. Also, Perlegen retains rights to develop therapeutic products based on the research results. Financial terms were not disclosed.

• Schering-Plough Corp., of Kenilworth, N.J., said the European Union's Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products of the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products issued a positive opinion recommending approval of Remicade (infliximab) for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. Separately, the committee recommended approval of an expanded Remicade label to include maintenance dosing for patients with severe, active Crohn's disease who have responded to infliximab therapy. Remicade is a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets and irreversibly binds to TNF-alpha. The product was developed by Malvern, Pa.-based Centocor Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson.

• Viral Therapeutics Inc., of Ithaca, N.Y., said it bought DzGenes LLC, of St. Louis, in a move it said expanded Viral Therapeutics' ability to perform disease gene association and genetic market validation studies. DzGenes was focused on addressing genetic variations among patients. Viral Therapeutics' focus includes recombinant protein expression, development and scale up. Financial terms were not disclosed.